The Organic Canvas
By Lamaretta Simmons
Photographs by Kieffer
All over the world, tattooing acts as a way for humans to not only distinguish their bodies from others, but also to decorate their skin with a work of art that often expresses a deep and abiding belief in the statement made by their tattoo. For tattoo artists the skin is a living, challenging medium that requires interaction between the artist and subject - in essence it is a living canvas.
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For centuries tattooing has been used for human adornment, traditional celebrations, rites of passage and cultural insignia. In terms of artistic and social acceptance, tattooing has run the gamut from being thought of as the primitive markings of savages, to the subversive statement of a rebellious and often despised lower class, to an increasingly respected artistic skill and symbol of personal freedom. However, despite the commercial growth tattooing has experienced, it continues to be a beleaguered form of artistic expression, waging a battle for uncontested recognition as a legitimate form of art.
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Dating back to ancient Egyptians (c. 4000-2000 B.C.), tattooing, along with body scarification, is one of the oldest forms of skin alteration. Since that time, tattooing has moved across continents and has managed to transcend class and cultures, becoming present in virtually every society on earth, though finding itself often on the fringe in most Western societies. The movement of tattooing has allowed various cultures and societies to adopt tattooing for their own purposes, and the United States has taken tattooing far past its tribal and ethnic roots, turning it into a commercial service that reportedly grosses millions each year.
Tattoo artists are no longer relegated to working on the sun-damaged skin of bikers, or the abused surfaces of rock stars, as was the limit in during much of the 20th century. Tattoos now adorn the bodies of attorneys, doctors, teachers, politicians and even members of the clergy, a fact that only further demonstrates the acceptance tattoos are experiencing.
According to U.S. News and World Report*, over the course of the last decade tattooing has become one of America's fastest growing segments of retail business. In fact, the Ameritech Chicago Yellow Pages list no fewer than fifty tattoo salons. Presently, there are an estimated 15,000 tattoo studios in operation within the United States.
Even more important than the commercial value of tattooing are the strides being made by tattoo artists, who have become more respected by museums and galleries, the institutions that are often the gatekeepers to the world of "high art."
In his 1998 report, "The Changing Cultural Status of Tattoo Art,"author and editor of Advertising Age Online, Hoag Levin noted that tattoo-related arts have become more widely studied and celebrated by leading museums, galleries and art institutions across the country. The cultural attitudes toward tattoos in the United States have changed so much over the last few decades that The National Museum of American Art, a part of the Smithsonian, added pieces of tattoo design to its permanent art collection in 1986.
Levin's report mentions several tattoo-based art exhibits, including Pierced Hearts, held in 1995 at the Drawing Center of New York City, which showed 300 drawings of tattoo art from the 1800s to the present; and, in the same year, The Devil's Blue: American Art and Practice through the Port of New York, 1840-1961, another exhibit devoted exclusively to the art of tattoo designs, which opened at the South Street Seaport Museum in New York City.
Acceptance by museums and galleries has been the goal of many tattoo artists who have sought to raise the respectability of tattoo art. Inclusion with other fine artists is seen as a certificate of approval for many tattoo artists, who years ago were neglected and sometimes scorned by the fine arts community.
However, despite the gains being made by tattoo art, not everyone thinks that acceptance from formal art galleries is the ultimate achievement for tattoo artists.
Anya Davidson, an SAIC freshman, said that having a tattoo on the body is a way of always exhibiting work.
"Because the current art world is so exclusive, many artists have explored art forms which go beyond the realm of the museum or gallery. One example is graffiti art, which is visible everywhere, outside of the traditionally accepted venues for the display of art. Tattoo art is similar - I am a walking gallery. People don't need to pay or travel to see my work because I have a piece on my back,"Davidson said.
John Majer, a musician and poet, said that tattoos represent a way to alter the body artistically. "I always thought tattoos were cool since I was a kid and I always wanted one... after being in a serious motorcycle accident which left my body scarred in several places, it dawned on me that I could modify my body artistically. I received twelve surgeries from this accident and if doctors could approach my body in a most physical/mechanical manner, why not modify it artistically?," Majer said.
But still, negative views of the tattooed persist. Tattoos continue to be thought of by the more conservative as a juvenile act of rebellion, and in some cases a sin. Some Christian fundamentalists still consider tattooing the body to be a sin, based on biblical text. And then there is the view held by some in the corporate world that those who sport tattoo designs on visible areas of their body are destined to be denied jobs that require a more conservative appearance.
Those who doubt that the once taboo practice of tattoo art will continue to gain in acceptance and popularity need not doubt any longer, just look around.
*Source: www. Tattooartist.com
DESIGNER: FYI BOX: These are Tattoo facts
The ancient Romans banned those with markings/tattoos from the Republic and used tattooing as a brand of shame upon criminals.
Many Christian opponents of tattooing cite Leviticus 19:28, which states: "Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you."
In 325 A.D. Roman Emperor Constantine reinforced a biblical ban on tattooing positing that the human body was created in the image of God and should not be defiled.
During the Crusades, warriors often marked/tattooed themselves with the symbol of the Christian cross.
In 1870, the Japanese government outlawed tattoos because it was seen as subversive.
The invention of the electric tattooing machine common today is credited to Samuel O'Reilly, thus paving the way for the mass commercialization of tattooing.
Three states currently outlaw tattooing altogether: Massachusetts, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Vermont.
Illinois law prohibits anyone under the age of 21 from getting a tattoo.
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